Startup Investing

Who’s afraid of the big bad bear? An internal memo on startup investing during a down market

Who’s afraid of the big bad bear? An internal memo on startup investing during a down market

Feb 17, 2016 | ,

Last month, I traveled to the VC and financial capitals of the world – Silicon Valley and New York City – for meetings with VCs and potential investment opportunities, plus a few days of meetings at CES, the largest consumer technology conference in the world. Being another tough week for the financial markets, it was an interesting time to take such a trip. Here are some of my thoughts that I wrote up initially as an internal memo after returning, and decided to share with our broader community. While we generally spend our time focusing on the micro side of investing – companies, their teams, the competition, the technological and business advantages — it is important that we remember that investment opportunities do not exist in a vacuum. We need to raise our eyes to view the broader picture. Below, I discuss: The overall global investing environment What it means that valuations are coming down Takeaways: Private market investing during a public market downturn But… good companies will continue to be built, raise capital and create wealth OurCrowd in the...

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The road already traveled: Why invest in startup follow-on rounds?

The road already traveled: Why invest in startup follow-on rounds?

Feb 10, 2016 | , ,

Today, access to quality investment opportunities are no longer a luxury reserved for the well-connected. Everything from startups to real estate development projects are now available to the masses for investment. This access has garnered lots of attention from prominent investment thought leaders. One of the biggest issues they’re grappling with is how to educate the public to make sure they are investing responsibly in these new, often risky asset classes. In this post, we’re going to talk about what Brad Feld refers to as a new, official trend in the world of venture capital. The Opportunity What’s this new trend we speak of? In January 2011, Union Square Ventures launched their first “Opportunity Fund.” The fund was formed to invest exclusively in USV portfolio companies raising follow-on rounds of investment. This investment strategy was born out of the realization that a majority of returns in a fund are generated by a small number of the portfolio companies. Fred Wilson, USV’s founder and managing partner described the rationale behind launching the fund in 4 basic points: “This fund is meant to...

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Anatomy of OurCrowd’s Innovative MedTech Portfolio [Infographic]

Anatomy of OurCrowd’s Innovative MedTech Portfolio [Infographic]

Feb 4, 2016 | ,

How do you feel today? Feeling good? Consider for a second your local hospital or doctor’s clinic: The ER, the OR, the lab, the tabletop devices, the drugs and wearables. With constant updates and developments of tech solutions servicing the healthcare and medical industries, the future is bright for MedTech sector, and exciting for both entrepreneurs and investors. Medical technologies are a key focus area for OurCrowd’s investment strategy and comprise over 18% of our overall portfolio. In fact, our first company to exit was ReWalk Robotics (NASDAQ: RWLK), an exoskeleton for people with spinal cord injuries, in 2014. As we continue to build, grow, and exit medical technologies (among others), we’re pleased to share the following infographic capturing the scope of some of the amazing MedTech companies in OurCrowd’s portfolio, proving themselves in this growing industry. Feel good about this infographic? Share if you find it helpful! To find out more about digital health, MedTech, and other investment opportunities on our platform, contact our Investor Relations team or visit our...

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Risk and Reward: The truth about diversification

Risk and Reward: The truth about diversification

Feb 2, 2016 | , ,

It is a common misconception that investing in startups is for the uber-wealthy, venture capital and angel investing insiders; being exclusive and risky — an alternative asset class where losing is part of the strategy. Venture capitalists leaders highlight how often you lose before you win. Thought leader Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures says, “Investing in startups is risky. If you make just one investment, you are likely going to lose everything. If you make two, you are still likely to lose money. If you make five, you might get all your money back across all five investments. If you make ten, you might start making money on the aggregate set of investments.” How Much to Invest That being said, no one will advise you to put a large percentage of your savings into early stage companies. However, if you allocate 5% of your overall portfolio into startup investments you can increase returns and reduce risk. According to a SharesPost whitepaper, if you allocate 5% of your investments to private growth companies, you can increase the returns of a traditional portfolio by...

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Introducing the new OurCrowd First website

Introducing the new OurCrowd First website

Jan 24, 2016 | ,

We are excited to announce the release of the newly designed OurCrowd First website. OurCrowd First is OurCrowd’s first-ever venture fund that was raised from more than 100 individual investors on the OurCrowd website in June 2015. Managed by serial entrepreneurs Eduardo Shoval and Yori Nelken, OurCrowd First takes a hands-on investment approach, leveraging the rich startup experience of its General Partners to provide meaningful, substantial guidance to our portfolio companies. OurCrowd First gives our investors access to even earlier-stage investment opportunities from the StartUp Nation. The fund has reached exciting milestones since launch – making several new investments, some with leading co-investors, entering partnerships with world-class institutions such as Credit Suisse, and most recently, co-hosting Israel’s premier startup competition with Poalim Bank and Keshet Broadcasting. The new OurCrowd First website presents the fund to both prospective investors interested in learning more about investing in Israel’s premier seed-stage fund, and to prospective entrepreneurs seeking funding and looking to discover what OurCrowd First is all about. Live now at www.OurCrowdFirst.com, you’ll find the following pages: Home Page: Introduces the OurCrowd First fund, its...

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